A bright spot in the preliminary revenue report was a increase in building-use tax revenues. Use taxes collected in March totaled $23,676, compared with $7,188 in March 2011. Year-to-date building-use tax collections remain down 35 percent.

Accommodations tax revenues decreased 12.7 percent in March and are 6 percent down for the year.

The city’s new 0.25 percent sales tax for air service at Yampa Valley Regional Airport collected $113,795 in March, bringing the first quarter total to $292,779.

The city’s sales tax revenues now have experienced year-over-year decreases in two of the first three months of 2012. February saw a slight increase, but that could be attributed to the extra day provided by the leap year. The decline in January was the first year-over-year monthly revenue decrease since April 2011.

The city budgeted for a 5 percent decrease in overall sales tax revenues this year. At 1.4 percent down through the first three months of 2012, the city still is on track to hit its revenue budget. The city will release final March revenue numbers in two weeks.